Curse Heart
by Kysarin Natsumoto
Summary: Howl has got his heart back, but he doesn't understand it. It was still the heart from his childhood. Will Sophie help him and let him know the journeys in order to understand what is a 'heart? Sophie's curse still wasn't broken. A mysetrious lady comes and helps. Will everything be solved? [Setting: the Kingdom of Ignary] Slightly AU and OOC {Only 3500 as max for 1 chapter}


**This is my first time writing a Howl's Moving Castle fic and I found that the characters kind of hard to write. **

**But to whoever reads this, I hope you enjoy it ^.^ I might combine some parts with the book though.**

**I really enjoyed reading the book and the watching the movie.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. But I own my storyline.**_

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Chapter One

{In Which a Mysterious Lady comes and Break the Curse}

...

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Sophie threaded a piece of white cotton through the small hole at the top of the needle. With her right hand holding and controlling the needle, her left hand was holding onto the white piece of silk fabric. She sewed pieces of fabric together carefully and slowly as the clock ticked in her room.

"Sophie, you need to rest. There's still a fairly long time until this wedding dress needs to be delivered. Don't stress too much." Howl opened Sophie's room door, noticing that she was still working on the dress. "I could use magic to help you, Sophie." He gave a bright smile to her.

"Then what's a point of opening a shop when you can use magic instead? And its Lettie's wedding. I really want to do the wedding dress for her, using my own hands, Howl." She smiled back as she continued sewing the dress. "You should at least know this."

Howl sighed. He didn't really know. He was heartless for too long. He can feel the small heart in his chest beating, but he never acknowledges the feelings that were included in a human heart. "Then you teach me, Sophie. My heart is still young." He walked into Sophie's room as he hugged her from behind.

"Howl, be careful, I'm holding a needle right now. I don't want you to ruin Lettie's wedding dress." Sophie warned. Every day, at this certain time, Howl will always come into her room and either hug her or kiss her or sit next to her and stare at her, as if a child with curiosity. "And… how can I teach you… feelings? You need to sense them and learn them yourselves from the bottom of your heart." She sighed. Howl has asked her the same question over and over again, she has repeated her answer over and over again.

"But I don't understand what does that mean. How could I learn it when no one teaches me it?" Howl complained. Sophie packed her needles and the dress away and turned back to Howl. He was staring at her eyes, "Sophie… Just teach me… I beg you…" Howl started to pull onto her sleeve. Sophie doesn't get it, since Howl got his heart back, he started to act a bit more childish, like winging at her for one of the littlest things. Is it because of that Howl's heart is still the heart of when he was a child? There's a possibility. She placed the wedding dress in a box and put it on the shelf in her room.

"How about you stop pulling onto my sleeve, Howl? You are getting more childish since you got your heart back. Be a bit more mature." Sophie sighed. She went outside of her room and got some water for herself. She sat right in front of the fire place where Calcifer was sitting on the pile of wood with boredom. "Calcifer, what age was Howl when he gave you his heart?"

"…" Calcifer didn't really hear what Sophie said, he was literally blanking out into space. "…Sophie… Oh… It's Sophie…" Calcifer tooked towards her, the wood was burning into ash bit by bit as he grabbed one more log that was located right across him. "Did you just ask me something?"

"Calcifer… is something bothering you?" Sophie asked as she grabbed a chair and sat down directly in front of Calcifer. Howl leaned on the back of Sophie's chair, his head lying on her shoulder. The short silver hair brushed against his cheeks as his emerald earrings dangled down.

"Nothing… I just feel like … peace? Just felt like I'm free… But somehow I just came back to be with you… It's just a confusing feeling." Calcifer sighed. He grabbed another piece of wood and crawled onto it.

"Calcifer… you have those feelings although you're a demon?" Howl asked, Howl and Calcifer used to be linked together, but now, they are two separate beings, both having their own freedom. His chest still feels heavy, but he can now feel something is beating inside him and making him sense more emotions and what 'love' actually is.

"Of course! I'm still a living manner! I have feelings!" Calcifer shouted. "I'm not heartless… Although I'm fire… But I still have emotions! I know I was alone when I was a falling star but it doesn't prove that I'm emotionless or heartless." He reached out for another piece of wood, having fun crawling onto the wood from one to another.

"That just sounded like a young girl in love. Calcifer, perhaps you've been in love?" Sophie asked. She sighed. She stood up and yawned. The clock ticked to eleven.

"No I'm not in love, Sophie! I'm just stating that not all demons are heartless! I have a heart!" He screamed at Sophie with small flames bursting out of his mouth.

"I understand now, Calcifer. I'm going to sleep now since we still need to open the shop tomorrow morning." She walked towards her room and opened her door. "Good night Calcifer." She smiled as she gently closed her door.

"Sophie!" Howl knocked on her door. "You still haven't told me about how to control my heart yet!"

Sophie was going to tackle in her warm blanket until Howl knocked her door. She lazily walked towards the door and opened it. She sighed, with a disappointing look in her eyes to Howl. "You don't control a heart like you do it a magic spell. Your heart is the dwell of your emotions like love and hatred." Sophie explained. She has said this over and over again but Howl will just normally ignore.

"But I don't understand that… I love you. That's all I know from the bottom of my heart…" Howl murmured.

Sophie sighed again. "You just said 'I love you' to me, it's a form of love. This feeling comes from your heart and it has delivered to me. You can simply say that your heart is where all your feelings come from. Anger, depression, love, hatred, excitement, enthusiasm and more, all of these emotions and feelings are at the bottom of your heart and they all come from your heart. Understood?"

Howl looked at her with a blanked face. "No…"

"How about just let me go sleep for now? I still have to open the shop tomorrow morning." Sophie exclaimed. She was going to close the door shut so she could just change into her sleeping gown and go sleep. However, it was stopped by Howl.

"Good night then, Sophie." He gently kissed Sophie on the forehead and looked at her until she fell asleep in her bed. She was used to it. Howl always did that since he got his heart back.

Howl closed the door silently as he left her room, heading upstairs. "Calcifer, hot water to the bathroom please. I need to a hot water bath." He walked upstairs as he spoke to Calcifer, his shoes making a _clack-clack_ sound while he stepped onto the wooden stairs.

"Why does everyone keeps on bullying me!" Calcifer complained. Markl walked down a few steps as he poked his head through the gap and staring at Calcifer. "What do you want, Markl?" Calcifer caught Markl staring at him, he shouted to him, his tone of voice was really pissed.

"Can you please be quiet Calcifer? I'm trying to sleep. It's really late. You should go and rest to." He walked up back to his room and slammed his door shut when he tackled back into his blanket.

"What did I do?!" Calcifer cried right after Markl went back to his room. His flame's turned into a soft blue colour and rested on the wood after sending the hot water to the bathroom for Howl.

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"Good morning." Sophie spoke as she prepared breakfast for all of them. She helped the witch of the Waste to get up and served her some bacon and egg as she gave Heen some bacon to eat. Markl rushed down the stairs, noticing the clock ticked to eight.

"Good morning, Sophie." Sophie sliced a piece of bread and gave it to Markl with some bacon and egg. Markl hopped onto the stool and started eating his breakfast. He was checking the time every few seconds, making a mess on the dining table.

The witch of the Waste took a fork and started eating her breakfast slowly as Howl walked down the stairs with his boots making _clack-clack_ sound on the wood. He grabbed his grey and scarlet coat that was on one of the hooks next to the bathroom and put in on. He gave a Sophie a smile and sat down on a chair. "Good morning, Sophie."

"Good morning, Howl. Did you have a nice sleep?" She took out a plate and told Howl to serve himself. Howl nodded as he took out a fork and knife and got some bacon and egg for himself.

"Sophie, the tea is ready." Calcifer spoke as the kettle on him started to burst out steam. Sophie ran to the kettle as she asked Howl to get out a few tea cups for everyone as she poured the tea into the cups.

"Take your time, Grandma. Markl and I will be going out to by some fabric. Howl, take care of Heen and Grandma please." Sophie smiled as she took her hat and walked out the house with Markl. She waved good bye to them and closed the door shut behind.

Howl sighed. He doesn't really like taking care of the witch of the Waste and Heen. "The witch of the Waste and Madam Suliman's dog? That's nice of you, Sophie." He started eating his breakfast while the witch of the Waste was staring at him while eating her food. Heen was chasing his tail around while going under the table and out in circles. The witch of the Waste was just staring at Howl while eating slowly. Howl felt very uncomfortable about the staring. Especially when it is the witch of the Waste who is staring at him. "Madam, can you stop staring at me? It feels… uncomfortable." Howl spoke, with an orderly fashion to the witch of the Waste.

"I'm just wondering that how handsome you are. Take that as a compliment." The witch of the Waste replied and continued on finishing off her breakfast. She stared out to the window instead. People were busy buying groceries as the shops started to open one by one. She remembers that the Hatter shop, which Howl made for Sophie, opens a bit later than the other shops. Howl went to the backyard as he got some flowers of different kinds and placed it in the shop for decoration. He heard the doorbell as Sophie and Markl walked in, carrying huge bags of fabric and accessory decorations for the hats. There were all sorts of colours of fabric, and a huge range of different accessory decorations, from plain looking into rich and wealthy looking ones.

"Markl, put them all into my room and open the shop. Howl, help out the shop for this morning. No going out and courting today." Sophie demanded as she put all of the materials on the bench in her room.

"But Sophie… I don't go out and go courting with other young ladies anymore. I already have you." Howl gave a kiss on Sophie's hand right after she put her things down.

"Stop it Howl. Go and help the shop. I need to finish off some of the hats for some customers who ordered them and they are going to fetch them up today. So quickly, go help the shop with Markl." Sophie pushed him into the shop as she locked herself inside her own room. Howl sighed, he put on a black jacket instead of his grey and scarlet one and started to work in the shop. Markl was sitting at the register and calculating the income of the Hatter yesterday.

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Sophie sewed the flower on the hat carefully, using the scissors to cut the remaining thread off. "Done! Finally. I can work on Lettie's wedding dress now." She exclaimed. She stretched her arms as her room door was slammed open.

"Sophie, Lettie is here!" Markl shouted. He called Lettie over as Sophie gave Lettie a big smile.

"Lettie? Come in." Sophie pulled onto Lettie's hand as Sophie sat on her stool and Lettie sitting on her bed. Markl dismissed himself and went back into the shop.

"Sophie… I… I-" Lettie was going to say something, but tearing started falling out of her eyes, She was wearing the yellow dress that Sophie made for her when they were still living together.

"Lettie… what's wrong? What happened?" Sophie hopped off her stool and started to comfort Lettie. She lend out her shoulder for Lettie to rest on.

"He… he… doesn't like me anymore… He said he wants to cancel the wedding…" Lettie cried, tears burst out more and more after she said it. Sophie was shocked. She was more to a mad state. She patted Lettie's back gently and embraced Lettie in her arms.

Sophie wiped off Lettie's tears, "Do you want to live with me for now? Howl won't mind." Sophie decided on her own. She just cannot leave her dearest all alone like that. She was very excited of Lettie's wedding and making the wedding dress with her hands, but they just cancelled the wedding. She cannot bare her sister in sadness.

She walked Lettie out of her room, holding her up to the bathroom and tells her to have a bath first and we will talk about it more. Sophie called for Calcifer to send hot water to the bathroom as she went to the shop and placed some newly made hats on the shelves and the display windows.

"Howl, Lettie is going to live with us for now. I hope you won't mind." Sophie smiled.

Howl's face blank. _Another family member?! _He sighed. _Since it's Sophie's sister, I won't mind then. _He thought. More customers came into the shop and he walked up to them and serviced them.

A young lady with a bright blue dress came in the shop. Her blonde hair was tied up as her hat showed a rich and wealthy look. Her emerald eyes looked towards Sophie as she pulled out a smile to her.

"You must be Sophie-san, am I right?" She spoke.

Sophie nodded. She stunned at her beauty, she has never seen such a beautiful person before.

"I know how to break the curse on your body that the witch of the Waste has put on you." She smiled as she handed a piece of paper to her. She wondered around the shop and looked at the hats. "You really good at designing, Sophie-san."

"Thank you very much." Sophie bowed slightly as the lady took a bright yellow hat and looked at the accessories on it.

"May I buy this hat please?" She turned over to the register boy, who was Markl, and handed him over the right amount of money for the hat. Howl took out a box and placed the hat inside gently. He wrapped the hat up with green wrapping paper with a yellow bow tied on top.

"Sophie-san, all you need to do is to follow the instructions on the paper, and I will help you break you curse." She left the shop, without forgetting to give all of them a smile.

Sophie opened the piece of paper, her eyes widened.

"Kill Howl."

That was what the paper said.

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**So this leads to the end of Chapter One, {In Which a Mysterious Lady comes and Breaks the Curse}**

**Please Review comments about this chapter. I would really appreciate some ideas and opinions of this story so I may continue on with some better writing [and other stuff...] **

**I don't update often so whoever likes this fic, please bare the waiting of updates.**


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